Humanity depends on trees

Thank God for trees. Living trees beautify our streets, parks, and gardens, and felled trees provide wood for many purposes. Moreover, trees turn CO2 into oxygen and carbon – the first is essential for breathing, the second is stored in trees.

Trees provide food (leaves, fruit, seeds) to a wide variety of creatures. Fruits from orchards are vital for a balanced diet.

Birds, monkeys, and herbivores enjoy the gifts of trees in different seasons. Rainforests sustain their cyclic climate by rain, streams, evaporation, and more rain.

The combined mass of trees in the tropics, Taiga, and in between, is immeasurable. Although thousands of trees are destroyed by man and nature, their seeds provide enough saplings for the next generation.

However, the increase of the world’s population increases the demand for wood, placing stress on supply and availability.

Unnecessary uses of wood should be eliminated. Wooden fences deteriorate quickly. Durable materials, like metal or recycled plastics should be used instead.

Trees are threatened by lightning, fire, certain beetles, elephants, and people. In rural regions, trees are harvested for firewood and cooking. Softwood is used for building houses, and hardwood for making furniture. Softwood trees, like pines, are far more abundant than slowgrowing hardwood trees, like oaks and teak.

Due to the drying out process, wood shrinks over time: 4 x 2 becomes 3.5 x 1.5. Hardwood is slowly dried over five years to prevent the fine cracks found in softwood.

The Bible refers 293 times to trees. Created on the third day (Gen. 1:11), trees play a vital role in God’s creation. Life forms are interdependent. Although God cursed the earth, he allowed the growing of crops and harvests to feed man and beast (Gen. 3).

Satan used the attractive fruit of the forbidden tree to seduce people into sin. On the last pages of the Bible, the tree of life grows along the river of life. The tree yields fruit 12 times a year, and its leaves heal the nations (Rev. 22:2).

King Solomon used wood from Lebanon to build the temple (1 Kings 5). He pointed to the orchards he planted (Eccl. 2:4-6).

Jesus referred often to grain and fruit trees in his parables. Man plants seeds that germinate and grow by themselves to be harvested for food (Mark

4). Barren fig trees are mentioned twice as metaphors for barren lives. Just as fruitful branches stay connected to the vine (John 15), believers must maintain contact with Christ to be fruitful.

Prosperity is depicted as “everyone sitting under his own vine and fig tree” (during the heat of day). Their large leaves gave welcome shade.

Olive trees supplied oil for lighting and cooking. Figs, dates, and grapes were dried and pressed into cakes for winter use.

Jacob Van Zyl of Lethbridge is a retired counsellor and the author of several faith-based books.